Flashlight switch



July 28, 1959 E. ENGERT 2,897,303

FLASHLIGHT SWITCH Original Filed ma zo, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 28, 1959 E. ENGERT FLASHLIGHT SWITCH Original Filed May 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Unit

Patented July 28, 1959 FLASHLIGHT SWITCH Eiigen Engert, Ellwangen, Jagst, Germany, assignor to Pertrix-Union G.m.b.H., Ellwangen, Jagst, Germany Original application May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,212. 17)2iziilg2d and this application April 3, '1958, Serial No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-60) The present invention refers to flashlights, and more particularly to electric flashlights having a substantially tubular body for accommodating cylindrical electric batteries.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 660,212, filed May 20, 1957, and entitled Flashlight Housing with Internal Control, now abandoned.

It is one object of this invention to provide control means for a flashlight with a tubular body for accommodating cylindrical electric batteries and a space allowing the arrangement of the control means for the operation of the flashlight located inside the body, yet without interfering with a battery placed inside the housing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a flashlight switch which can be placed inside the housing without interfering with a battery placed in that housing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a switch that can 'be located inside the housing Without interference with a battery placed in that housing and with actuating means on the outside of the housing for operating the switch inside the housing.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a flashlight switch with several selected operative positions for selectively operating the flashlight for emission of light continuously or intermittently.

With the above objects in view, in one embodiment of the present invention the control means includes a switch housing mounted in the flared portion of the tubular body and projecting into the annular space, the switch housing extending in axial direction of the tubular body and being tapered towards its end adjacent to the inner end of the flared portion so that interference between the switch housing and electric batteries inserted into the housing is prevented.

In another embodiment of the invention the control means includes stationary and movable contact members mounted within the switch housing and actuated by actuating means arranged on the outside of the housing.

In still another embodiment of the invention the actuating means are provided with means for holding the same selectively in one of several positions so that in one position of the actuating means the switch is inoperative while in another selected position a switch contact for continuous emission of light is operative while in another selected position the switch means for continuous light is inoperative while a contact for intermittent operation of the flashlight is in operative position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a flashlight incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a lateral elevation of the flashlight shown in Fig. 1, seen in direction of arrow A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the flashlight shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken along line III-III of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are partial sectional views on an enlarged scale also taken along line IIIIII of Fig. 1, illustrating three different positions of the switch; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation in the same position as Fig. l.

with omission of the switch means.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a flashlight according to the present invention comprises a substantially tubular body 1 which is provided with a flared portion 3 towards one open end thereof and with an end ring 8 assembled with the housing 1 by threaded engagement. A closing transparent glass disc 10 and a reflector 11 are pressed against the edge of the housing by the ring 8. A bulb, not shown, is held in the center of the reflector 11 and connected by a threaded sleeve 13 to a socket 14 in contact with a battery 15. A battery 15 or a series of batteries 15 are supported by a spring 16 which in turn abuts against a closing plate 2 of the body 1.

The control means for operating the flashlight are mounted in the flared portion 3 of the body 1. A switch housing is attached to the flared portion 3 by means of three rivets 7 and contains the contacts for operating the flashlight. These contacts, not shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, are operated from the outside of the flashlight by actuating means, which include a sliding member 4 and a button 5. The slide 4 serves to operate the flashlight for continuous emission of light while the button 5 serves to operate the flashlight intermittently for a blinking signal. The main portion of the control means is therefore mounted on the inside of the flared portion 3 and projects into an annular space 3' between the inside of the flared portion 3 and the cylindrical space required for inserting or passing the batteries 15 from the open end into the body 1. For this same purpose, the switch housing 6 which extends lengthwise or in axial direction of the body 1 is tapered at the end adjacent to the start of the flared portion 3.

Since the body 1 serves as a conductor of electricity from the bottom end of the battery 15 through spring 16 to the switch located in the housing 6, an insulating ring 12 is interposed between the outside edge of the reflector 11 and the rim of the flared portion 3 of the housing 1.

As shown in greater detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the switch housing 6 projecting into the side of the flared portion 3 houses all the contacts required for the operation of the flashlight.

Fig. 4 shows the control means in a position in which the contacts are inoperative. The housing 6 is attached to the flared portion 3 of the housing by means of rivets 7. Attached to the inside wall of the housing 6 is an insulating strip 18 and a stationary contact strip 19 is assembled to the other side of the insulating strip 18 by means of a rivet 21. However another insulating strip 20 is placed between the rear head of the rivet 21 and the contact strip 19. Also the rivet 21 is provided with an insulating washer 21' and does not contact a corresponding hole in the wall of the housing 6. The stationary contact strip 19 extends into the interior of the housing 1 and is in contact with the reflector 11 for conducting electricity to the bulb 27. In this manner the contact 19 is entirely insulated from the housing 1.

The rivet 21 is, however, in contact with the strip =19 and therefore constitutes part of this contact. The rivet 21 serves a second purpose as will be described later.

The control means in the housing 6 include two movable contacts 17 and 22. These two contacts 17 and 22 are connected by a metal strap 23 with the outside control slide 4. In order to make this connection possible, the housing 1 is provided in the region of the switch housing 6 with two axial slots 23 shown in Fig. 7 and the straps 23 are assembled with the slide 4.

The second movable contact 22 extends substantially parallel with the wall of. theflared portion 3 and bears from the inside against a button 'made of insulating material and projecting through a corresponding hole in the flared portion 3 sothat by pressingthis button the contact 22 can be deflected and moved transversely of the housing 6 of the switch.

In the position shown in Fig. 4 the free end of the contact 17 rests on the insulating strip 18 and therefore does not permit any current to flow to the bulb 27. The strip 22 is in a position in which pressing the button 5 would not result in operation of the flashlightbecause thetip of the contact 22 would not contact the inner endof the rivet 21 which, for practical purposes, constitutes a part of the stationary contact 18.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, a projecting rib 25 is provided between the slots 28 in the flared portion 3 of the housing. The rib 25 cooperates with a spring member 26 inside the slidepiece 4 which spring 26 is provided with two projections 26 for selective engagement with the rib 25. In the position shown in Fig. 4 the rib 25 holds the slide 4 in the position illustrated.

Proceeding now to the switch position illustrated by Fig. 5, it can be seen that the slide 4 has been moved forward to the selected position where the rib 25 engages the spring 26 in the recess between the two projections 26'. By this movement of the slide 4 the one movable contact 17 has moved forward along the insulating strip .18 but is still not in contact with the stationary contact .19. However the other movable contact 22 has been moved forward into a position in which pressing the button 5 would result in the contact 22 contacting the inner end of the rivet 21 whereby a circuit from the battery is closed through this switch means to the bulb 27. This means that in this second selective position of the slide 4 the flashlight can be operated intermittently for giving flash signals.

Fig. 6 illustrates the third selected position of the control means. The slide 4 has been moved further forward and in this position the rib 25 engages the spring26 on the other side of the second projection 26. In this position now the movable contact 17 contacts the stationary contact 19 so that in this position the switch is closed for continuous emission of light by the bulb 27; Also the contact 22 has been moved further forward so that again operation of the button 5 will result in moving the contact 22 transversely into engagement with the rivet 21 so that in this position the button 5 may also be used for closing the circuit. As a rule this will have no effect since'the circuit is already closed to the contact between the contact 17 and the contact 19. However, it is possible that through wear or existence of foreign matter on the surface of either contacts 17 or 19 a poor contact or no contact exists between these two contacts. In this case the contact 22 can still be used for operating the flashlight.

It can be seen that the slots 28 also serve to limit the lengthwise movement of the slide 4 because the edges of the straps 23 abut against the ends of the slots 28 at either end of the sliding movement of the slide 4.

A piece of comparatively soft material which may be a foil of insulating material, 2.9. is interposed between the slide piece 4 and the outside surface of the flared portion 3 not for insulating purposes but in order to prevent scratching of the surface of the flared portion by the movement and operation of the slide 4.

It will be understood that each of the elementsdescribed above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of flashlights differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in flashlight with internal control; it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various. modifications and structural changes may be made with- 4 out departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 7

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present'invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of: the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be; comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Control means for flashlights comprising, in combination, a switch housing of substantially elongated form; contact means located inside said housing, said contact means including a stationary contact member located inside said switch housing and insulated therefrom, and adapted for electrical connection with apart of said flashlight intendedto carry current when said contact means areincircuit-closing position, and a first movable contact member operable to and from a circuit-closing position in which said first movable contact member contacts said stationary contact member, and a second movable contact member operable to and from a circuit-closing position inwhich said second movable contact member contacts said stationary contact member, said first and second movable contact members being superimposed to each other at their mounting ends, and spaced from each other at their operative ends; actuating means for operating said contact means, including a first actuating member slidable inthe lengthwise direction of said switch housing and connected to said first and second movable contact members at their superimposed mounting ends, means for holding said first actuating member selectively in one of several positions so that in one selected position said first movable contact member is in contact with said stationary contact member, and a push button member movable transversely of said housing for operating said secondmovable contact member.

2. Control means for flashlights comprising, in combination, a switch housing of substantially elongated form; contact means located inside said housing, said contact means including a stationary contact member located inside said switch housing and insulated therefrom, and adapted for electrical connection with a part of said flashlight intended to carry current when said contact means are in circuit-closing position, and a first movable contact member operable to and from a circuit-closing position in which said first movable contact member contacts said stationary contact member, and a second movable contact member operable to and from a circuitclosing position in which said second movable contact member contacts said stationary contact member, said first and second movable contact members being superimposed to each other at their mounting ends, and spaced from each other at their operative ends; actuating means for operating said contact means, including a first actuating member slidable in the lengthwise direction of said switch housing and connected to said first and second movable contact members at their superimposed mounting ends, means for holding said first actuating member selectively in one of several positions so that in one selected position said first movable contact member is in circuit-interrupting position with respect to said stationary contact member, and in which said second movable contact member is in a position for contacting said stationary contact member whenmoved transversely to the lengthwise direction of said housing, and a push button member movable transversely of said housing for operating said second movable contact member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,466,414 Gitset al Apr. 5, 1949 

